Nocatee developers study new school site

Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra Beach residents want it closer

Nocatee developers are considering land for a high school on the eastern edge of the proposed development near the Intracoastal Waterway.

The public high school originally was planned to be near a town center in the 15,000-acre development in north St. Johns County. But the School Board wants the school to be near Palm Valley and Ponte Vedra Beach residents.

One thought was to place it near the Palm Valley Bridge by a county park under construction.

''The primary thing is for the school to be on the east side of the Nocatee property,'' said Superintendent Hugh Balboni, who said the park site is not the only possibility.

So the PARC Group, the Nocatee developer, is considering changing its plans. PARC Group Chairman Roger O'Steen said he understands the concerns of parents in the area, and he is working closely with the School Board to find a suitable site.

Residents at a Ponte Vedra Beach town hall meeting on Oct. 14 expressed concern about Nocatee schools only serving Nocatee children. In response, the PARC Group has started a month-long study to find an eastern spot.

Balboni said the study is a step in the right direction.

However, School Board member Judith Ham said the step is not big enough. She wants the developers to commit to a site near the future Northeast Regional St. Johns County Park, which will be south of County Road 210, about a mile from the Palm Valley Bridge.

''We think, educationally, a park and a school would work really well together,'' Ham said.

O'Steen said the park may lack space for a school, and the site holds many old hardwood trees, which would have to be cut.

''We're considering that possibility, although it has some undesirable characteristics,'' he said. ''Siting a high school where there is not enough land is not good for anybody.''

Ham said she did not want the developers to use all of the best real estate on neighborhoods, and put the school wherever it's convenient.

''We don't want leftovers,'' she said.

O'Steen said the criteria under review are the size of the land, environmental effects, roads and future neighborhoods.

He also said it would be good to build near Nocatee's libraries, stadiums, parking and recreational facilities.

Nocatee is being proposed on land in St. Johns and Duval counties owned by the Davis family, owners of Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. Nocatee's developers will set aside land for future high schools and elementary schools on sites to be donated to the relevant school districts. The developers said local and state taxes, and impact fees will finance construction of the schools.

A private Catholic high school is also planned to help serve the expected 30,000 residents.

Also, a not-for-profit organization named the First Coast Independent School Foundation has been formed, which may finance an additional school. The organization's officers live in Ponte Vedra Beach.